Sequoiadendron giganteum

Giant sequoia

Family: Cupressaceae · Type: tree · Native

Giant sequoia is a native tree found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in mixed-conifer forests at elevations of 825 to 2,700 meters. With massive trunks reaching up to 11 meters in diameter and bark up to 60 centimeters thick, this iconic tree produces distinctive red-brown fibrous bark with deep ridges. Growing to heights of 90 meters with spreading branches that end in upturned tips, the tree has persistent green awl-like leaves less than 15 millimeters long arranged in four ranks. Its remarkable leaves remain green for up to 4 years, with persistent branches lasting less than 20 years. The tree produces woody seed cones 40 to 90 millimeters long that mature over two years and remain on the tree, containing 3 to 9 seeds with two unequal wings.

Habitat: Uncommon. Mixed-conifer forest, especially with favorable soil moisture

Elevation: 825-2700 m

Bioregions: SNH, naturalized in northwestern San Jacinto Mountains (Black Mountain), possibly naturalizing in San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains.

California counties: Riverside, Calaveras, Mariposa, Fresno, Los Angeles, Tulare, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Madera, Butte, Placer, Ventura, Kings, San Francisco, San Diego, Alameda

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.